Point and switch



Dec. 3, 1935. D. P. STEWARD El AL 2,023,344

POINT AND SWITCH Original Filed April 4, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet l l N Qvwemtom fiouems PJrEI z EO ggqjma L/H/V VJrEWA/er Mime/11 1935- D. P. STEWARD ET AL 2,023,344

POINT AND SWITCH Original Filed April 4, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS oucmsFJrEn/Aea OH/V 7159-5144487.

ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 3, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE POINT AND SWITCH sylvania Original application April 4, 1933, Serial No. 664,412. Divided and this application May 8,

1934, Serial No. 724,576

Claims.

Our invention relates to a point and switch construction and its object is to provide an improved tie plate and rail holding means therefor.

5 The present application is a division of our copending application Serial No. 664,412 filed April 4, 1933.

The various features of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of .a part of a point and a tie plate embodying the invention.

Figs. 2, 3, and 4 are vertical cross sections of the rail, point and tie plate taken at increasing distances from the free end of the point.

Figs. 5 and 6 are cross sectional views similar to Figs. 2 and 4, respectively, but showing the invention as applied to a canted plate, that is, a plate having a canted surface to support the rail. 20 In the accompanying drawings only one rail I ll of the track is shown, it being understood that the other rail may be of similar construction and arrangement.

The rail is mounted on tie plates ll, one for each tie, and rests upon a lower horizontal surface l2 of the plate. The rail H] has a pair of base flanges l3 and I4 one of which, I4, flts into and is anchored in a recess formed by an 30 overhanging projection 5. Immediately above the overhanging part I6 is a sliding surface I! at a sufficient elevation above the surface I2, this elevation being provided by thickening the part of the plate below the surface I1. A slid- 35 ing point rail I8 is slidably placed on the surface ll, the face l9 of the point near the web of the rail I0 being cut away near the point end to enable the point rail to slide into close contact with the rail 10, and the upper surface of the 40 rail l8 being cut away to merge into one side of the head of the rail ID as shown clearly in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, this being a common construction with points. As shown in Fig. 4, the point l8 widens at increasing distances from its free end 45 and separates from the rail Ill.

The side of the rail l0 nearest the point l8 does not have any fastening means other than the overhanging part l6, as fastening means at this side would interfere with the free sliding of the point I8. The rail I0 is held in position by having its flange I 4 wedged tightly from its opposite side into the recess formed by the overhang I6 and by wedging and anchoring the opposite flange l3 from the free side of the rail.

55 This Wedging and securing action is obtained by means of a brace 26 having a wedging surface Zl to fit against the under side of the head of the rail Ill and a lower wedging surface 22 to wedge against the inclined upper surface of the flange l3. The brace is forced toward or against the rail If! so as to wedge the rail in position by means of a wedge 23 which is forced downwardly between the upwardly flaring surfaces of a ridge 24 on the lower surface l2 extending longitudinally at a fixed distance from 1 the rear and the outer end surface 25 of the brace 20. The wedge 23 is forced downwardly by means of a nut 26 threaded onto a bolt 21 the lower end of which is secured in a recess of' a rib 28 placed slightly inwardly from the rib 15 24. A spring 29 may be placed between the nut 26 and the upper face of the wedge 23. The wedge 23 serves to force the brace 20 and the rail l0 against the overhang l6 and anchors the flange l4 tightly in place. The brace 20 and the 20 outer flange I3 of the rail are held downwardly onto the surface l2 by means of a wedge 30 fitting against the outwardly and upwardly flaring surfaces 3| and 32 of a recess in the brace 20, the wedge 30 being forced downwardly by a 5 nut 33 threaded onto a bolt 34 which is anchored at its lower end in a recess in a short rib 35 on the surface I2. A spring washer 36 may also be provided between the nut 33 and the upper surface of the wedge 30. This wedging serves 30 to hold the brace 20 tightly downwardly onto the upper face of the flange 13.

Through the above construction the rail II] is anchored on one side in accurately determined position While providing a free unobstructed 35 sliding surface for the switch point, permitting the latter to move into close contact with the rail.

As will be apparent from Fig. 3, the point I8 is free to move and extend below the head of the 40 rail l0 almost to the flange, thus affording initially adequate strength to the point. The brace 20 and wedging means provide means whereby the rail may be tightly and accurately wedged downwardly and sidewise into the recess of the tie plate and also permitting ready adjustment and replacement.

In the form of embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the construction is similar to that shown in Figs. 2 and 4 except that the surface of the plate on which the base of the rail I0 is supported is canted inwardly, the construction being otherwise the same. With this canted construction it is unnecessary to provide transition plates between the normally canted 56 rails of the track and uncanted or horizontal surface plates and then to provide transition plates from the horizontal surface to the canted rails beyond the switch or turn-out. The canted construction thereby eliminates the necessity of making a succession of plates planed to different degrees of canting and enables a. rolled plate to be used throughout. The sliding surface I! may be flat or horizontal, particularly at the foot or free end of the point rail.

What we claim is- 1. A tie plate for switch and point rails having an undercut to receive the base flange of a fixed rail and a sliding face thereabove for said point rail, and a brace engaging said fixed rail on the side opposite said undercut and means cooperating with said brace to move the same laterally and downwardly to wedge said rail into said undercut and onto the supporting surface of said base plate.

2. A sliding plate for switch and point rails having an undercut to receive a base flange of a fixed rail and a sliding surface thereabove and having ribs spaced from said undercut and provided with bolt head recesses, a brace having surfaces to bear against the head and base of a rail mounted on said plate and a surface to rest on said base plate and having a bolt receiving opening, a bolt in said opening and having its head engaged in one of said recesses, and a wedge held by said bolt between one of said ribs and a face of said brace, and a bolt in another of said rib recesses to hold said wedge downwardly -onto the base of said rail.

3, A switch comprising a sliding plate having an undercut to receive a base flange of a fixed rail and a sliding surface thereabove and ribs spaced from said undercut and provided with bolt head recesses, a rail mounted on said plate with a flange engaged in said undercut, a brace having surfaces to bear against the head and base of the rail on the side opposite said undercut and a surface to rest on said base plate, means Wedging between said brace and one of said ribs to force and hold said brace against said rail, means engaging another of said ribs to hold said wedge downwardly on said plate, and a switch point rail slidably mounted on said sliding surface of said plate.

4. A tie plate for a switch and point rail having an undercut to receive the base flange of a fixed rail and having a sliding face thereabove for a sliding point rail and having means to wedge the flange of said fixed rail into said undercut, the fixed rail supporting surface of said tie plate being canted.

5. A tie plate for switch and point rails having an undercut to receive the base flange of a fixed rail and a sliding face thereabove for said point rail, and a brace engaging said fixed rail on the side opposite said undercut to wedge the base of said rail into said undercut and onto the fixed rail supporting surface of said base plate, the base supporting surfaces of the fixed rail being canted.

DOUGLAS P. STEWARD. JOHN V. STEWART. 

